ZELIENOPLE — A May 10 fire that destroyed the former AAA building at 200 S. Main St. and Beecher's Gelato & Gourmet Coffee at 204 S. Main St., and damaged a third office building has been ruled arson.

State police fire marshal Shane Lash said today the fire started in the north side of the first floor office of the former AAA building.

Although the building had a kitchen area to the rear, Lash determined that the fire originated in the pile of wood 2-by-4s that had been stacked in the middle of the vacant office space.

Lash said the burn patterns and the lack of accidental ignition sources in the area of origination led to his determination.

The fire caused more than $3 million in damages to three separate buildings along South Main Street.

The owners of the former AAA building had been doing some office remodeling at the time the fire broke out, said Lash.

No excelerants were detected, but Lash pointed out that doesn't necessarily mean that they were not present.

The arson criminal investigation now will be turned over to the Zelienople Police Department.

Demolition of the former AAA building began on Friday as an excavator began tearing down and scooping up the charred remains of the former vacant office building.

The Beecher's building was scheduled to be demolished on Monday, but was delayed and razed this morning.

A third building damaged in the blaze, owned by attorney Wesley Hamilton at 208 S. Main St., suffered smoke and water damage, while an apartment above the law office was destroyed.

Hamilton has said he intends to renovate the fire damaged building.